The GGCA statement today is a misrepresentation of events and an attempt to confuse people into believing their irresponsible walk out yesterday was remotely justified. Government regrets and rejects the crude and untrue allegations made by the GGCA. The simple facts are as follows;

1. There is no attempt to break up ITLD or privatize it or outsource it.  The truth is the opposite - which is why ITLD have been involved in every committee, authority and project team to deliver eGovernment services, including the Digital Services authority. They have been involved at every stage.

2. ITLD have been involved and supported the tender process for the software service providers in this project and been willing partners in this work.

3. The Head of ITLD and the Deputy Head of ITLD have been involved in every aspect of the delivery of eGovernment and have attended regular meetings on these subjects over the past 18 months and form an important part of the team. This has included outsourcing of work discussed and agreed with ITLD.

4. ITLD staff are working every day as part of the Project Team for the delivery of the eGovernment project. They have NOT been transferred out of ITLD as the GGCA wrongly state and are working in this team.

Government has repeatedly stated that it does wish to engage and intends to fully consult with ITLD, Treasury IT and the GHA IT with its plans to combine their services within a shared services unit. Nothing will happen in this regard until this full consultation has taken place with all stakeholders and this commitment has repeatedly been given by both the Chief Minister and Minister Isola. The GGCA is aware of this.

The plans for ITLD are not to break them up. Indeed the creation of the Digital Services authority is precisely to ensure that any outsourcing of IT related issues by any Government Department has to be first referred to this committee with the head and deputy of ITLD sitting on it. The GGCA seem to be incapable of understanding this.

Wendy Cumming and representatives of the GGCA were invited to meet with Minister Isola on the 10th May 2018 for a full briefing on eServices and eGovernment. The GGCA refused to attend that meeting and any other meeting on eGovernment. Wendy Cumming should spend more time learning about the excellent work being done to deliver these services by GGCA members across all of Government including those in ITLD rather than walking around holding a banner with the words “Digital Services Disaster”. GGCA members from across all of Government are working extremely hard to deliver these for the benefit of Gibraltar and its citizens.

Government rejects the inaccurate GGCA statement in its entirety as it seeks to insult and misrepresent the truth.

Minister Isola said “I regret the misrepresentation of the facts by the GGCA and I am grateful to all those civil servants across all departments of Government, including GGCA members, who are working so hard in making this vision a reality for the benefit of our community.”